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After Joseph Randle left early with an injury, Darren McFadden took over as Dallas’ lead back, turning 29 carries into 152 yards and a score. He hauled in 9-of-10 targets during the Cowboys’ previous game, replacing Lance Dunbar as the team’s passing down back, so McFadden is going to be a workhorse behind a strong offensive line if Randle were to miss time. Christine Michael saw just five carries, as apparently he failed to grasp the offense after getting a chance to run with the ones during the team’s bye week. Feel free to drop Michael, and McFadden would suddenly be a top-12 fantasy RB if Randle were to miss time. He might have won the Cowboys’ lead back role with his performance Sunday regardless of Randle’s health…It will remain a committee in New York, but Orleans Darkwa at least put himself on the radar…After throwing 10 touchdowns over his previous four games, Eli Manning has just one TD toss over his last two, although this connection with Rueben Randle was legit.
T.J. Yeldon ran for 115 yards and his first rushing score of the year, but his game could’ve been bigger, as Toby Gerhart and Tyson Alualu were inexplicably given a combined five carries from the one-yard line, punching in zero of them…EJ Manuel’s first half was one of the uglier stretches a QB has played this season. Buffalo needs its upcoming bye to get healthy on offense…After a quiet Week 1, Allen Robinson has racked up 33 catches for 559 yards and six touchdowns over six games. He’s a top-12 fantasy wideout.
Other than his 75-yard run, Adrian Peterson got 23 yards on 18 carries…Matthew Stafford completed 69.2 percent of his passes, got 9.8 YPA and posted a 2:0 TD:INT ratio. He also took seven sacks (losing 59 yards) while attempting just 26 throws…Stefon Diggs continues to impress and is now a weekly WR2 for fantasy purposes. He’s totaled 324 receiving yards over the first three games of his career, and his first TD catch was one of the highlights of Week 7.*
Over the last three games, Matt Ryan has gotten 6.5 YPA with a 3:6 TD:TO ratio while also taking eight sacks. He’s faced Washington, New Orleans and Tennessee over that span, so it hasn’t exactly been the toughest schedule. The Falcons are 6-1 and will be favorites in each of their next four games at minimum. In fact, barring injuries, there’s a good chance Atlanta is underdogs in just one of its remaining games. But they are going to need to play a lot better to do any damage in the postseason, even if they are one of the NFC’s top-two seeds.
Mark Ingram’s big game (146 rushing yards and a score) would have been massive had Khiry Robinson not stolen two touchdowns inside the 10 (and nearly a third). It was nice to see Ingram bust a 44-yard run, as he entered with a season-long carry of just 17 yards…Andrew Luck’s 333 passing yards and three scores work just fine for fantasy owners, but he once again looked shaky. He completed just 52.3 percent of his passes against a Saints defense that entered allowing a 65.9 completion percentage. The 3-4 Colts’ schedule doesn’t ease up anytime soon either (@Car, Den, bye, @Atl)…T.Y. Hilton somehow combined securing just 26.7 percent of his looks with a 10.0 YPT mark, which certainly isn’t easy to do. This 87-yard TD catch helped.*
After disappointing last week, Charcandrick West established himself as Kansas City’s new feature back, totaling 129 yards with a score against a Steelers front seven that’s defended the run well. He’s an RB2 moving forward…Martavis Bryant is now up to 11 career touchdowns on 35 receptions. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce hasn’t scored since Week 1.
Headlines of the Week: Study: The Louder The Howler Monkey, The Smaller His Testicles…Woman Pulled Over For Drinking Coffee While Driving…Car Washer Killed After Colleague Inserts High-Pressure Air Hose Into His Rectum…Subway Agrees To Measure Sandwiches As Part Of Settlement…The Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease.
Todd Gurley ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, also securing 4-of-5 targets for 35 receiving yards in yet another impressive performance. The rookie is barely 21 years old, is still recovering from ACL surgery and has played in essentially just three games this season, yet he has the third most carries for 20+ yards (six) and is tied for the NFL lead in rushes for 40+ yards (three). There’s still more than a half a season left and obviously plenty can change, but as of now, it sure looks like you’ll want a top-three pick in drafts next year.
Lamar Miller arguably had the biggest game in Week 7, as he totaled 236 yards and two scores on just 17 touches. With Miami up 41-0 at halftime, he didn’t even play in the final two quarters. The Dolphins face defenses that rank in the top-five in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs in three of their next five games, so the schedule isn’t easy, but Miller is locked in as Miami’s workhorse and should easily be viewed as an RB1 moving forward…This play by Jarvis Landry was sick…It’s easy to criticize after the fact, and I’m sure his fantasy owners were appreciating the garbage stats at the time, but it’s especially tough to see Arian Foster go down with a season-ending Achilles tear during a meaningless play with the outcome already in hand. As a 30-year-old back coming off such a serious injury, I can’t see Foster being taken in the first three or four rounds of drafts next year.
Brandon Marshall had a couple of bad drops Sunday, including a crucial one that would’ve gone for a TD...Drops were a theme in this game, as Brandon LaFell had about five of them himself, as New England approached double digits as a team. Despite the shaky outing, it was encouraging to see LaFell get eight targets during his first action of the season. He could be a difference maker down the stretch…The Patriots called just five run plays, netting one yard, as Tom Brady led the team in rushing yards (15) for the first time in his career. The Pats got 6.6 YPA and 1.8 YPC yet still scored 30 points against the NFL’s stingiest defense.
Police Blotter: Duo Steals Jewelry From Art Gallery, Leaves Name, Number In Guestbook…L.A. Coroner Investigating Case Of Stolen Leg…Man Flushes Millions In Fake Poker Chips Down Toilet, Gets Prison...Man Confessed To Killing After Tarot Card Reader Turned Over Death Card…Man Charged With Murder After Calling TV Station With Details About Girl’s 1982 Disappearance.
Tampa Bay blew a 24-0 lead but far more importantly, Jameis Winston has completed 70.8 percent of his passes while getting 10.5 YPA with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio over the past two games. It’s a small sample, but Winston has also taken just five sacks over the previous four contests after taking seven over his first two games, so there are signs of real progress…The Bucs’ defense, on the other hand, remains a mess. Kirk Cousins threw for 317 yards with three scores, adding a rushing TD for good measure. It marked the first time he tossed multiple TDs in a game this season, and Cousins entered having been picked off twice in four of six games this year…Jordan Reed will be a top-five fantasy tight end until his next injury…Early in the third quarter, Washington became the first kicking team to recover an onside kick this season (the Jets would later do so as well Sunday).
Philip Rivers struggled mightily, as the Chargers entered the fourth quarter down 37-6 at home against the Raiders. Of course, fantasy owners were left happy after he tossed three touchdowns in the final quarter, as garbage stats count all the same. Rivers has averaged 57.0 pass attempts over the past three games...Derek Carr, who entered 1-9 over the first 10 road games of his career, got 9.3 YPA with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio against a San Diego secondary that came in yielding the fifth fewest fantasy points to opposing passers this season. It helps to have Amari Cooper, who can do things like this…Sunday marked the first time since 2002 Oakland didn’t punt or commit a turnover in the first half of a game…The Chargers have three punt return yards this season. Three…Weird to see Melvin Gordon active after early reports suggested he wouldn’t be, only not to enter the game until the outcome was no longer in question. It’s unclear if he’s hurt or still being punished for last week’s two fumbles. It’s probably both…The final 10 minutes had to be fun for Danny Woodhead owners in PPR leagues.
Longread of the Week: Haunted By Hackers: A Suburban Family’s Digital Ghost Story*
One week after scoring twice, Jonathan Stewart became the first back to rush for 100 yards against the Eagles in 19 games. Unfortunately, fantasy owners saw him lose goal-line TDs to Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton…Despite averaging 8.2 targets, Jordan Matthews hasn’t scored or reached 60 receiving yards in any of his past five games. What a massive disappointment.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*
T.J. Yeldon ran for 115 yards and his first rushing score of the year, but his game could’ve been bigger, as Toby Gerhart and Tyson Alualu were inexplicably given a combined five carries from the one-yard line, punching in zero of them…EJ Manuel’s first half was one of the uglier stretches a QB has played this season. Buffalo needs its upcoming bye to get healthy on offense…After a quiet Week 1, Allen Robinson has racked up 33 catches for 559 yards and six touchdowns over six games. He’s a top-12 fantasy wideout.
Other than his 75-yard run, Adrian Peterson got 23 yards on 18 carries…Matthew Stafford completed 69.2 percent of his passes, got 9.8 YPA and posted a 2:0 TD:INT ratio. He also took seven sacks (losing 59 yards) while attempting just 26 throws…Stefon Diggs continues to impress and is now a weekly WR2 for fantasy purposes. He’s totaled 324 receiving yards over the first three games of his career, and his first TD catch was one of the highlights of Week 7.*
Over the last three games, Matt Ryan has gotten 6.5 YPA with a 3:6 TD:TO ratio while also taking eight sacks. He’s faced Washington, New Orleans and Tennessee over that span, so it hasn’t exactly been the toughest schedule. The Falcons are 6-1 and will be favorites in each of their next four games at minimum. In fact, barring injuries, there’s a good chance Atlanta is underdogs in just one of its remaining games. But they are going to need to play a lot better to do any damage in the postseason, even if they are one of the NFC’s top-two seeds.
Mark Ingram’s big game (146 rushing yards and a score) would have been massive had Khiry Robinson not stolen two touchdowns inside the 10 (and nearly a third). It was nice to see Ingram bust a 44-yard run, as he entered with a season-long carry of just 17 yards…Andrew Luck’s 333 passing yards and three scores work just fine for fantasy owners, but he once again looked shaky. He completed just 52.3 percent of his passes against a Saints defense that entered allowing a 65.9 completion percentage. The 3-4 Colts’ schedule doesn’t ease up anytime soon either (@Car, Den, bye, @Atl)…T.Y. Hilton somehow combined securing just 26.7 percent of his looks with a 10.0 YPT mark, which certainly isn’t easy to do. This 87-yard TD catch helped.*
After disappointing last week, Charcandrick West established himself as Kansas City’s new feature back, totaling 129 yards with a score against a Steelers front seven that’s defended the run well. He’s an RB2 moving forward…Martavis Bryant is now up to 11 career touchdowns on 35 receptions. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce hasn’t scored since Week 1.
Headlines of the Week: Study: The Louder The Howler Monkey, The Smaller His Testicles…Woman Pulled Over For Drinking Coffee While Driving…Car Washer Killed After Colleague Inserts High-Pressure Air Hose Into His Rectum…Subway Agrees To Measure Sandwiches As Part Of Settlement…The Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease.
Todd Gurley ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, also securing 4-of-5 targets for 35 receiving yards in yet another impressive performance. The rookie is barely 21 years old, is still recovering from ACL surgery and has played in essentially just three games this season, yet he has the third most carries for 20+ yards (six) and is tied for the NFL lead in rushes for 40+ yards (three). There’s still more than a half a season left and obviously plenty can change, but as of now, it sure looks like you’ll want a top-three pick in drafts next year.
Lamar Miller arguably had the biggest game in Week 7, as he totaled 236 yards and two scores on just 17 touches. With Miami up 41-0 at halftime, he didn’t even play in the final two quarters. The Dolphins face defenses that rank in the top-five in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs in three of their next five games, so the schedule isn’t easy, but Miller is locked in as Miami’s workhorse and should easily be viewed as an RB1 moving forward…This play by Jarvis Landry was sick…It’s easy to criticize after the fact, and I’m sure his fantasy owners were appreciating the garbage stats at the time, but it’s especially tough to see Arian Foster go down with a season-ending Achilles tear during a meaningless play with the outcome already in hand. As a 30-year-old back coming off such a serious injury, I can’t see Foster being taken in the first three or four rounds of drafts next year.
Brandon Marshall had a couple of bad drops Sunday, including a crucial one that would’ve gone for a TD...Drops were a theme in this game, as Brandon LaFell had about five of them himself, as New England approached double digits as a team. Despite the shaky outing, it was encouraging to see LaFell get eight targets during his first action of the season. He could be a difference maker down the stretch…The Patriots called just five run plays, netting one yard, as Tom Brady led the team in rushing yards (15) for the first time in his career. The Pats got 6.6 YPA and 1.8 YPC yet still scored 30 points against the NFL’s stingiest defense.
Police Blotter: Duo Steals Jewelry From Art Gallery, Leaves Name, Number In Guestbook…L.A. Coroner Investigating Case Of Stolen Leg…Man Flushes Millions In Fake Poker Chips Down Toilet, Gets Prison...Man Confessed To Killing After Tarot Card Reader Turned Over Death Card…Man Charged With Murder After Calling TV Station With Details About Girl’s 1982 Disappearance.
Tampa Bay blew a 24-0 lead but far more importantly, Jameis Winston has completed 70.8 percent of his passes while getting 10.5 YPA with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio over the past two games. It’s a small sample, but Winston has also taken just five sacks over the previous four contests after taking seven over his first two games, so there are signs of real progress…The Bucs’ defense, on the other hand, remains a mess. Kirk Cousins threw for 317 yards with three scores, adding a rushing TD for good measure. It marked the first time he tossed multiple TDs in a game this season, and Cousins entered having been picked off twice in four of six games this year…Jordan Reed will be a top-five fantasy tight end until his next injury…Early in the third quarter, Washington became the first kicking team to recover an onside kick this season (the Jets would later do so as well Sunday).
Philip Rivers struggled mightily, as the Chargers entered the fourth quarter down 37-6 at home against the Raiders. Of course, fantasy owners were left happy after he tossed three touchdowns in the final quarter, as garbage stats count all the same. Rivers has averaged 57.0 pass attempts over the past three games...Derek Carr, who entered 1-9 over the first 10 road games of his career, got 9.3 YPA with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio against a San Diego secondary that came in yielding the fifth fewest fantasy points to opposing passers this season. It helps to have Amari Cooper, who can do things like this…Sunday marked the first time since 2002 Oakland didn’t punt or commit a turnover in the first half of a game…The Chargers have three punt return yards this season. Three…Weird to see Melvin Gordon active after early reports suggested he wouldn’t be, only not to enter the game until the outcome was no longer in question. It’s unclear if he’s hurt or still being punished for last week’s two fumbles. It’s probably both…The final 10 minutes had to be fun for Danny Woodhead owners in PPR leagues.
Longread of the Week: Haunted By Hackers: A Suburban Family’s Digital Ghost Story*
One week after scoring twice, Jonathan Stewart became the first back to rush for 100 yards against the Eagles in 19 games. Unfortunately, fantasy owners saw him lose goal-line TDs to Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton…Despite averaging 8.2 targets, Jordan Matthews hasn’t scored or reached 60 receiving yards in any of his past five games. What a massive disappointment.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*